Most children at the age of 14 don’t do anything other than watch tv or play outside, but not Taj Pabari. He’s a 14-year old in Brisbane, Australia who is set to become a big shot entrepreneur with his invention, a DIY tablet.

It all started less than a year ago when his teacher gave him an assignment where students were supposed to sandwich two pieces of plastic together. While other kids were staring into the air, Taj was picturing a new kind of educational toy. What he did next put him on the list for a Young Innovator of the Year award and he also began pitching his product to potential investors. So what exactly did this young kid do to push himself up into the big league? He ultimately wants to change the face of IT education.

Taj Pabari did what his teacher told him to by sticking two pieces of plastic casing together but he gave it his own touch by building a computer in between. So when you mix a bit of working knowledge of computer hardware, aesthetics and a dash of youthful intellect you have what is called MechTech Creations, Pabari’s Brisbane-based company. Pricing on his tablet started off at about US $46 but by pursuing something a bit more educational will jack the price up considerably. All kids love Lego and all kids love computers so why not put the two together is what Pabari says.

The DIY Tablet Kit is designed to teach children ages 4-14 the inner workings of an Android tablet. Once a child puts all the pieces together, they can build their own games and apps. How cool is that? MechTech’s COO, Ben Mandeville-Clarke, who is a senior citizen at the age of 19 says “We are creating what we hope will be the Lego of the 21st century”. Those of us who are old-school like to see our kids playing outside instead sitting in front of a computer screen or sticking their heads into smartphones.

By combining the idea of Lego bricks to processing chips we think Pabari has got the balance just right. Hopefully with the fascination of building, the satisfaction of accomplishing, and inspiring with technological curiosity Pabari will create a wave of the future. Unfortunately he didn’t win the Young Innovator Award but that’s not stopping him. The educational tablet will be available soon for AU$219, around US$203.